Your Thoughts: Sesame Street 50 Years and Counting DVD Set

[TimzUneeverse]

Since some copies of the DVD set come with a photo frame with Sesame Street characters on it, I wonder how the frame might look if I buy it.

 

[minor muppetz]

Some more tallys - how many segments from each year listed (I'm going by the year (not season) listed in the review, which goes by broadcast year; I do know off-hand which season but some I don't):

1969 - 1
1970 - 5
1971 - 2
1972 - 7
1973 - 1
1974 - 3
1975 - 2
1976 - 1
1977 - 2
1978 - 5
1980 - 2
1982 - 2
1983 - 2
1984 -5
1985 - 1
1986 - 3
1987 - 5
1988 - 2
1990 - 1
1994 - 1
1999 - 1
2000 - 1
2007 - 1
2008 - 1
2009 - 2
2010 - 3
2013 -3
2014 - 2
2016 - 1
2018 -1
2019 - 2

Thinking about that Patch review from last week, I guess that "amazing story of pie" refers to either Three Whipped Cream Pies on the Wall or Whistle, Whistle, Little Bird.

 

[DePingPong]

Is there anywhere I can buy the DVD digitally instead of physically?

 

[Oscarfan]

Is there anywhere I can buy the DVD digitally instead of physically?

You can buy each disc as separate things on Google Play or iTunes.

 

[Katzi428]

I just got it today & thought it was going to be like the 40 years & Counting DVD set was. ( grouped by years ) I'll have to watch more to tell how much I like it. It's OK so far.

 

[minor muppetz]

Today I decided to watch "Bob's Brother". When I first saw that Jeff Goldblum would be on this set, my reaction was "that's cool, at least one street story that hasn't been officially available since its original season", without being that excited, but in watching, it is an amazing episode. I like how both Minneapolis and Snuffy are amazed to see each other, and the uses of long words "Minneapolis", "Snuffleupagus", and "archaeologist". I like the song that Bob and Minneapolis sing together, and do feel sad when he has to leave at the end (especially when he says he'll be back, aware that he never would return, at least not on the show itself - he probably did return off-camera).

I can't remember if I'd seen the street story for episode 3136 back in its original season or not (I have looked at bits and pieces online but not much), but it is a somewhat amazing episode. I like how there's a bit of build-up before we see around the corner, with everyone grouped together in front of 123 Sesame Street before we see around the corner for the first time, how we're properly introduced to the new characters while also being treated like everyone already knows them. Seeing Zoe suddenly appear at the beginning with dialogue and be referred to by name almost immediately after is a neat way of introducing her, I feel like seeing Tarah and Betty Lou at the beginning is supposed to be the same. I guess this was also Tarah's first appearance, while it is the start of Betty Lou becoming more of an actual character (though she's not used much). It's interesting when Little Green Riding Hood wants to deliver a basket of goodies to the president only to be told of how difficult it would be, considering this episode featured an appearance by Hillary Clinton (not on this set - is that segment meant to be part of the street story or just an insert? I'm pretty sure it's not in any other episode, except maybe when the street story was repeated later that season), with the first lady just happening to be in that episode, they could have had Little Green Riding Hood give her the basket to give her husband.

While it might not have heavily been on my many wishlists, I had kind of wanted Shapes in My Room on DVD. I actually haven't seen that segment in a long time, but watching and listening to it now, it is a really awesome song. I really like how Telly sounds in this song.

 

[DePingPong]

You can buy each disc as separate things on Google Play or iTunes.

Ahh, alright. Thanks!

 

[minor muppetz]

I wonder if Toughpigs will have a review of this. Since Joe helped put it together, it'd be unfair for him to review the set, but Ryan still could (not to mention Toughpigs has a number of other contributors). In fact, The Muppet Mindset hasn't reviewed the set, either. I've checked and have barely seen any reviews (if the comments count as reviews) outside the appropriate threads here and at Toughpigs.

One thing I like is that it seems Prairie Dawn gets featured a little more than on similar collectors sets. Maybe also Herry. Snuffy is similar to most sets - barely on disc 1 but featured quite a bit on disc 2, with three episodes heavily involving him.

Has that Amy Poehler clip been broadcast on the show? It seems really short and odd - Elmo asks her about exercise and she just leaves (is leaving supposed to be her representation of exercise) and Elmo is weirded out. Seems more like something that might have just been put online. Looking at the Amy Pohler page, it only lists her doing one Word of the Day for "challenge", though a few viral videos were linked on the page (I actually didn't see "exercise" there).

Oh, How I Miss My X is one that I hadn't really watched in a long time, and as I watch it, while I do remember the flashbacks in the middle, I really forgot the lyrics there.... They sure are amazing. Also, I had always noticed Gordon and Susan in the audience, but until looking at the Muppet Wiki page for the song after the set was released, I never noticed before that Luis and Maria are at another table or that Bob plays the piano.

I Can't Help It is a great choice. That was uploaded on the Sesame Street video player in the early days of the site but was for some reason removed not too long after, so it's great to have this on an actual release. It's one that I did want on this, though every time I thought up a wishlist (in chronological order) I generally left it out, as there were other season six segments I either wanted more or felt needed to be included more. I don't think I ever really paid attention to Luis and David's reactions in this - they are hysterical.

It seems like the "Fuzzy and Blue" section is supposed to be monster sketches, though most of them feature either Cookie Monster or Grover. Given the title, it was more likely going for segments starring blue monsters, as we get one Herry segment without either - but then it also has an Elmo segment. I almost feel a few of the Cookie and Grover segments could have been moved to a different spot and replaced with some Telly, Zoe, and Rosita (a fuzzy and blue monster not featured in this section).

There are a lot more segments that have previously been released on video than I was expecting, but I've kind of been thinking about this similar to the 25th anniversary video. That one has many of the best-known segments, but most of them had been released on video before. This one does have a lot more segments that haven't been on video already, and most of the new-to-video content is a lot better than the new-to-video content of the 25th anniversary video. You could say this is the best of what's been on video - and with more repeats from the Old School sets than I would have expected/chosen, you could say it's The Best of the Old School Sets. At least the majority of double-dips (and higher-dips) are great segments worthy of repetition (occasionally I'll learn of certain repeats and think "really??? again???"

Since Joe from Toughpigs was involved with selecting material, I'm not thinking too much in terms of "I would have included this instead of that" or "why this instead of that....?" (with many being his personal favorites, then I pretty much know why). He said on the Toughpigs forum that he tried his best to leave out some of the most-released songs or have unreleased versions included whenever possible. We sure are lucky that the show has had so many different versions of Sing, I Love Trash, What's the Name of That Song? (I didn't realize until this week that each version has only been on video once), Somebody Come and Play (and I don't think there are many video releases of that song in any form), and The People in Your Neighborhood.

I also wonder if the decision to put out an anniversary set was last minute. Joe said on the Tough Pigs forum that he pitched a number of street stories that require clearances that they couldn't clear in time for this. And when considering this, combined with how few DVD releases this year have included the theme song (with lyrics) and the fact that many of the classic episodes rerun on HBO have had a lot of segments replaced (when Noggin didn't replace anything), I wonder if a lot of residual deals have expired by now. There is only a small amount of films and animation segments included, all of which have been on past releases, and unlike similar collectors sets, this one doesn't include outside characters (like C-3PO and R2D2, Batman, or Fonzie), though I'd like to think that if they cleared appearances by some that they could easily include other appearances by them (or at least repeat the released ones... though I guess I'd rather they not include them if they could only repeat the segments released before), and there's no celebrity montages (given it's released by Shout!, I would have thought it would have some clearance-surprises). Given the lack of scenes from episodes where the cast travels, ignoring the fact that they took up multiple episodes (but there are plenty of stand-alone scenes in those), I wonder if there's a lot to clear for those. Sesame Workshop has never officially uploaded scenes from any of those (except part 1 of the Camp Echo Rock storyarc, which only shows the camp at the end of the street story), 40 Years of Sunny Days has a couple of Hawaii clips but otherwise none have been released on video or officially available online (this one also seems to get ignored in anniversary specials), and I don't think any of these were featured in any of the 50th anniversary mash-up videos. Old School Vol. 3 included the trip episodes that started their respective seasons, and "What a Gift" from the Montana episodes has been on three different videos, but otherwise, those have been scarce in terms of video releases and official uploads.

I figured, whether it was chronological or not, that the set would end with either This is My Street or I Remember, and both are great segments. After suspecting the clips would not be in chronological order, I thought a good way to end the set would have been with a Forgetful Jones clip, Things That I Remember (which isn't on this set), and then I Remember. Maybe there should be a memory-themed compilation in the future.

Looking over each clip section, I have noticed that each section includes at least one segment each with Cookie Monster, Ernie, Bert, and Elmo.

This is a great set, I hope Joe can put together more in the future (maybe an annual collectors set).

 

[Oscarfan]

Skimmed through a copy from the library. Random thoughts:

-Man, the stuff from the 70s looks way too bright and over saturated - does not look good. "Born to Add" just has the brightness turned up, no contrast or anything. I get this was kinda a rushed product, but still. Eech.

-There's a few clips (like "Grouch Girls," "Sing" and one of the "Bob's Brother" scenes) where the aspect ratio was clearly beyond 4:3, so they just cropped it instead of fixing it; it also doesn't look good.

-That "I Remember" song is pretty neat. I guess it's nice having Mr. Hooper in there, but I dunno, something doesn't sit right about it to me. They go for this whole nebulous timeline thing with those animated parts - 2-Headed Monster's newsstand is on the block and Oscar's can is in its new place (and Abby/Zoe are there), but everything else is how the street looked in the 70s. Also, Solange was born in 1986 - there's no way she could be that little girl, nor could Mr. Hooper have been there! I hope someone gets fired for that blunder.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

Also, Solange was born in 1986 - there's no way she could be that little girl, nor could Mr. Hooper have been there! I hope someone gets fired for that blunder

It's because the little girl died in 1986, and Solange is her in another life. Duh. Wasn't it obvious from the lyrics?